Week 23: Homework

Sorry for posting this so late!

Reading Assignment:
Read Chapters 27 of Theology and Sanity, “Habituation to Man”—pp. 371-382.

Questions:

1. In what way is man extraordinary, according to Sheed? (pp.372-3)
2. Why is all the excitement of our universe centered in man? (p.373)
3. List the two pairs of facts that Sheed says summarize the truth about all men. (p.374)
4. What is never lost in the Church’s fellowship? (Hint: Who is never lost?) (p. 374)
5. How do Protestantism and Secularism deal with the facts from question 3 above? (pp. 374-5)
6. What does Sheed mean when he says “the only home left for personality is the Church? (p. 375)
7. What does it mean to say “man is a union of spirit and matter”? Why is it not enough to simply know the definition of man? (pp. 377-9)
8. How does the conflict between rationality and animality lead to perversion and depravity, which we wrongly call “animal”? (p.381)
9. Why should we not judge others? (p.381)

Reflection Questions:

1. Writing about the uniqueness of man, C.S. Lewis once said that “we have never met a mere mortal”. If that’s true, how might that affect the way we interact with others? The way we treat ourselves?
2. What are some of the cultural/political/technological ramifications of a belief in the uniqueness of mankind and of each individual? Is it an accident that the Christian West produced hospitals, universities, and democratic states?

Week 22: Homework

Reading Assignment:
Read Chapters 26 of Theology and Sanity, “Habituation to Reality”—pp. 361-370.

Questions:

1. What does Sheed mean when he says that “the facts of religion are not simply facts of religion, but facts”? (p. 361)
2. What is the context of our religion? (Who are the actors and what are the events in our story?) (p.362)
3. What are the three possible relationships we can have towards reality? (p.362)
4. What danger confronts theologians who study elements so far beyond the reach of daily experience? Why must we study creation? (p.364-5)
5. Explain this statement: “The more is means to us, the richer our knowledge of God.” (p.365)
6. How can poets help us see God in creation? (p.368)

Reflection Questions:

1. Re-read section iii on pages 366 and 367. Sheed says that our knowledge of God is enriched by study the created universe; it is a way that God communicates with us. He also says that a much of this enrichment will be spontaneous and unmeditated. If this is true, how might it affect the way we see our work and our hobbies?

Week 21: Homework

Reading Assignment:
Read Chapters 24-25 of Theology and Sanity, “Life after Death” and “The End of the World”—pp. 336-358.

Questions:

1. What are the three “states” we can be in at any given time in our lives/at the end of our lives? (p. 336)
2. Why does Sheed speak of the “formidable finality of death”? Why is death final if the soul lives on? (p.335)
   
3. What, according to Sheed, are the two categories that all of our choices are ultimately between? (p. 338)
   
4. Define mortal and venial sin. (p. 338)
   
5. Why can’t the soul of someone who is separated from God go to Him after death? Who sends people to hell? How do we know that hell is not a contradiction of God’s love? (p. 340-1).
   
6. What is the cure for self-love that we find in purgatory? (p. 342)
   
7. Define Beatific Vision. (p.343)
   
8. How can the happiness of heaven be total, but not equal, for all? (343-4)
   
9. How can the saints be more with us in heaven than our neighbors on earth? (p.347)
   
10. Who will be saved from worshipping the Anti-Christ? How? (p. 352)
    
11. When will we have our bodies restored to us after death? Why will we have bodies in heaven? (p. 356)

Reflection Questions:

1. Americans seem to be flippant about hell. People will casually condemn someone who cuts them off in traffic or joke about partying with sinners in an infernal after life. But, if we really thought about what hell means, would we ever joke about it or wish it upon our worst enemies?

Week 19: Homework

Reading Assignment:
Read Chapter 21 of Theology and Sanity, “Dispensing the Gifts”—pp. 289-310.

Questions:

1. Man is a social being. In what ways are we bound to others as social beings? What does this fact require of religion? (p.290)
2. How did Christ leave his followers organized? How does this parallel the relationship God had with the Jews in the old covenant? What expression is used in the Apostle’s Creed to describe this? (p. 291)
3. By what means does God offer us the spiritual gifts of Life and Truth? (p.291)
4. What do we mean when we say the Church is infallible? Why? Where does this power of infallibility come from? (p.294)
5. How is the Pope infallible? Does God promise the pope some special message or illumination? How does the pope learn his doctrine? (p. 295)
6. In a definition of faith and morals by the pope what does Infallibility account for? (p.295)
7. What does Sheed mean when he says the Bible cannot defend itself? (p. 296)
8. What, according to Sheed, is man’s principal business on earth? (p. 298)
9. How do the sacraments reflect man’s nature? (p. 300)
10. Why must men maintain the proper balance between spirit and matter? What are the dangers of becoming imbalanced? (p. 301)
11. How is the Eucharist different from the other sacraments? (p.302)
12. Do priests offer new sacrifices in order to give the faithful life? (p.303)
13. On page 305, Sheed says that the gifts of life and truth that the Church offers come through the Church, but not from it. Why is this an important distinction?

Reflection Questions:

1. On page 291, Sheed, speaking of man’s responsibility to seek truth and life, states “It is not part of His [God’s] purpose to do for men what they can very well do themselves, but only what they cannot. . .God […] expects man to the uttermost that he can.” How well do you think you’re fulfilling this responsibility? Do you have reason to be proud of yourself? Do you need to improve your game?
2. How would you respond if someone asked you why you remain a Catholic when there are so many sinful people in the clergy and the Church in general?

Week 18: Homework

Reading Assignment:
Read Chapter 20 of Theology and Sanity, “The Kingdom”—pp. 279-89.

Questions:

1. What are the two elements of God’s plan for mankind that emerge from Jesus’ teachings? (p.280)
2. What kind of kingdom was Jesus founding? (p.281)
3. What is the significance of Jesus’ words at the Last Supper, “I dispose to you, as My Father has disposed to Me, a kingdom?” (p. 281)
4. How did Jesus prepare his Apostles to understand God’s kingdom and teach the Truth? (p.282)
5. How did Jesus prepare the Apostles to be dispensers of Life? (p. 282)
6. On page, 282 Sheed seems to suggest that the Apostles were over-prepared for their jobs. What was Jesus doing when he prepared them so thoroughly? (p. 282-3).
7. What does the word “Catholic” mean? What does the word “universal” mean?(p.284)
8. Why did the Apostles need the Holy Spirit? (p.285)
9. What is the function of Peter? In what ways is this Christ-like? (p.286-9)

Reflection Questions:

1. At the bottom of page 281, Sheed states that the Apostles and their successors are to dispense the gifts of Truth and Life, but that these gifts cannot be given once for all. He says that each new generation and each person must receive them. Is there is any tension between dispensing the gifts faithfully and giving the gifts to new generations? Are there some who sacrifice the integrity of the gifts to accommodate a new audience? Are there some who alienate new audiences in order to transmit the gifts as they were received?
2. Jesus promises his Apostles that He will be with them “all days, even to the consummation of the world.” Sheed remarks that this continuous presence of Christ with His Apostles gives a double guarantee: first that gifts we receive from the Apostles and their successors are His gifts to us and, second, that when we are in contact with these men we are in contact with Christ. How does this knowledge affect your understanding of what the church can/can’t do with respect to some hot-button issuses like women priests or the prohibition on artificial contraception?

Week 17: Homework

Reading Assignment:
Read Chapter 19 of Theology and Sanity, “Redemption”—pp. 268--279.

Questions:

1. What does it mean to say that God died? (p.268-9)
2. How could Christ offer a true human act in expiation of sin? How could a human act satisfy the sins of all men? (p. 269)
3. Could Christ have pricked his finger to save the world? Why or why not? (p. 269)
4. What two things is Christ’s death at Calvary proof of? (p. 270)
5. What does it mean to say that Jesus was “made perfect” through what he suffered? Was he somehow imperfect before he suffered? (p. 271)
6. What two things did the Redemption accomplish? (p.272)
7. How are Adam and Jesus each a representative man? (274-5)
8. How do our relationships with Adam and Christ differ from each other? (276)
9. If Christ’s death redeems the whole human race, how can there still be some people who aren’t saved? (p.277)

Reflection Questions:

1. Catholics are often accused of “works righteousness”—the idea that we are saved by doing good works instead of by faith. Given what you’ve learned in this chapter, how would you respond to such an accusation?
2. Re-read the two paragraphs of the chapter. Reflect for a while on what it means that Jesus is constantly interceding for us in Heaven. Find some way to thank Him this week.

Week 15: Homework

Reading Assignment:
Read Chapter 17 of Theology and Sanity, “The Redeemer”—pp. 242--268.

Questions:

1. Why was it the Second Person of the Trinity who was chosen for the redemption of the world? (p. 242-3)
2. How is Jesus more of a man than we are? (p. 243)
3. What’s the significance of Jesus being conceived of a human mother? Couldn’t he have just suddenly appeared among us with a human body and human soul? (p. 243-4)
4. Does Christ’s sinlessness diminish his humanity? Why or why not? (p. 244)
5. How could Jesus, the Second Person of the Trinity, grow in wisdom? (p. 245).
6. Does the fact that Jesus had infused knowledge and the Beatific Vision contradict his humanity? (p. 246)
7. How did the Holy Spirit help Jesus in his ministry? (p. 247)
8. Did Christ have faith, hope, and charity? (p. 247)
9. If Christ was God, in what sense was he praying to God? (p. 247)
10. Why must we look closely at Christ in the Gospels? (p. 248)
11. What does it mean to know Christ personally? Why is it important? Where do we meet Him? (p. 249-50)
12. What is the particular modern error about Christ that Sheed mentions on page 250? How does this misperception of Christ differ from real love? (p. 250-1)
13. Explain how Jesus could say both “I and the Father are one and the Father is greater than I”? (p. 253)
14. How did Jesus teach? (p. 254)

Reflection Questions:

1. Have you ever dismissed Christ as “meek and mild”? What can you do during this Lent to improve your understanding of him?
2. If we are related to Jesus through Mary (c.f. question 3 above), what kind of relationship with Our Lady do you think would be most pleasing to Christ? What can you do to develop a relationship like that?

Week 14: Homework

Reading Assignment:
Read Chapter 16 of Theology and Sanity, “The Mission of Christ”—pp. 231--242.

Questions:

1. What did the angel tell Joseph about Jesus’ mission? (p. 234)
2. List the things Jesus directly says he has come to do. (p.235)
3. What are the three words St. Paul uses repeatedly to describe the Lord’s work? (p.236-7)
4. What is justification? What is redemption? (p.237-8)
5. What are the “two elements in what Our Lord did?” (p. 238)
6. What is the significance of St. John the Baptist saying that Our Lord takes away the sin (singular) of the world? (p. 239)
7. How does the Incarnation answer “the double problem that faced fallen mankind?” (p. 240-2).

Reflection Questions:

1. Have you ever seen the words “John 3:16” displayed at a sporting event? Do you think this is a good way to evangelize? Does this verse capture the essence of the mission of Christ? Read the passage and commit it to memory. Read John 3:17, too. Is that verse important to remember too?

Week 13: Homework

Reading Assignment:
Read Chapters 14-15 of Theology and Sanity, “The Fall of Man” and “Between the Fall and the Redemption”—pp. 191-231.

Questions:
1. What was the immediate effect of Adam’s sin? (p. 190)

2. What kind of death did Adam suffer from eating the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil? (p. 192)

3. List some ways that Man’s nature was damaged by the Fall. (p. 193-4)

4. Did Adam and Eve ever regain sanctifying grace? Were they able to repair the damage done to themselves? (p.195-7)

5. On page 197 Sheed says that the human race became a fallen race to which heaven was closed. What is the effect of this on members of the race who die with sanctifying grace before Christ?

6. What else fell with Adam? What else suffers the result of the Fall? (p.200)

7. Why are people born without the supernatural life? Are we guilty of Original Sin? Explain. (p. 201-2)

8. Is God unfair to deprive us of supernatural life after the Fall? (p.203)

9. Who is the lord of the world? (p.204)

10. In what ways is our testing similar to Adam’s? How is it different? (p.206)

11. What is meant by the expression “the fullness of time”? (p. 208)

12. What did the human race bring out of Paradise for the adventure of regaining the maturity it had rejected? (p. 210)

13. What are the two elements in man upon which man builds notions of God? (p.213)

14. How does human nature deform religion? (p.214-5)

15. Read pages 217-231 carefully. How does God prepare the world for the “fullness of time”?

Reflection Questions:
1. Sheed talks about the modern mood that will have none of this notion of a personal Devil. Why is it so important to not reduce evil to merely forces and tendencies?

Week 12: Homework

Reading Assignment:
Read Chapter 13 of Theology and Sanity, “The Testing of Angels and Men”—pp. 173-190.

Questions:
1. What is the only certain way of learning something’s purpose? (p.174)

2. What is the purpose of all created beings (spiritual and material)? What is true only of spiritual beings? (p.174)

3. What is the significance of names in Scripture? What does Adam’s naming of the animals tell us about Adam/Man? (p.175)

4. On page 176, Sheed says that God has told us that our destiny is to see God face to face. How is this possible if God is spirit and has no face? (p. 176)

5. What is the name of the principle which enables us to operate above our nature? (p.176) What is another name for this principle? (p. 186)

6. Why is Pride the worst of all sins? (p.178)

7. What are the two meanings of the word freedom as explained by Sheed? (pp. 179-80)

8. Why can’t demons be totally without God? (p.183)

9. Can angels sin? (pp. 181-3)

10. How does the testing of angels differ from that of Man? Why does it differ? (p. 183)

11. What was the first man like? What were his “preternatural” perfections? (pp.183-4)

12. Cocktail Question: What is impassibility? (p.185)

13. What is the purpose of supernatural life? (p.185)

14. When are we given supernatural life? What are the first effects of it on us? Hint: Think virtues. (p.186)

Reflection Questions:
1. Reread the passage about the state of demons in Hell (p.181-82). Given how Hell is described there, how would you respond to someone who says something like “I’d rather go to Hell and be with my friends than go to Heaven and be without them?”

2. The philosopher Plato thought that people do evil because they don’t know the good; the Christian tradition disagrees with him. On page 178, Sheed suggests that sin is not merely a matter of knowledge but of a “far more mysterious thing, will.” In what ways can we strengthen our will to avoid sin if merely knowing right from wrong is not enough?

Week 11: Homework

Reading Assignment:Read Chapter 12 of Theology and Sanity, “Angels, Matter, Men”—pp. 151-173

Questions:
1. What type of being is highest in the created order? How do we know of the existence of these beings? (p.152)

2. What does the word angel mean? Does this word accurately convey the chief function of these beings? What is their chief function? What is their second great function? (p. 155)

3. How are levels of angels differentiated? List the nine choirs of angels. (p. 156-7)

4. In what way does matter resemble spirit? (p. 159)

5. What is the dominating division in the material order? (p. 159)

6. What is the definition of a living being? (p.160)

7. What are the three divisions of the created universe? (p.160)

8. Why does Sheed say “there is no reason to believe that [an animal’s soul] is not a material soul, ‘immersed’ in the matter of the animal’s body?” (p. 162)

9. According to Sheed, what is the function of man? How does man perform it? (p. 163)

10. What makes man different from other living material beings? (p. 164)

11. What is our “greatest glory”? With what is it bound up? (p. 169)

12. What are the two different sets of laws that govern our universe? How are they distinguished? (p. 171)

Reflection Questions:
1. On page 155 Sheed says that “God has shown us with overwhelming evidence that He wills to give His gifts to creatures through other creatures so that we may learn by the receiving of God’s gifts from one another and the transmission of God’s gifts to one another, our family relationship within the great household of God.” What effect might this have on the way we relate to our fellow creatures (men, animals, matter)?

2. Look at what Sheed has to say about how man was formed on page 167. Can you formulate a Catholic response to the theory of evolution based on what he says here?

Week 10: Homework

Reading Assignment:
Read Chapter 11 of Theology and Sanity, “The Created Universe”—pp. 139--151.

Questions:
1. Why did God create a world that is “multitudinous and complex”? (p. 140)

2. Why is the world not “a merely chaotic complexity”? What is it instead? (p. 140)

3. What are the things made in God’s likeness called? What are the rest of the things called? What kind of being is both? (p. 141)

4. How do the Heavens (and everything else) show forth the glory of God? (p. 141)

5. What does Sheed mean when he says that “spirit is more than matter is”? (p. 142)

6. What causes change? (What is change always the result of?) (p. 145).

7. What does it mean to say that created spirit cannot suffer substantial change? What kind of change can created spirit suffer? (p.145)

8. What are the three relations to change? What are the three kinds of duration that correspond to the three relations to change? (pp.145-6)

9. Define contemplation in your own words (pp. 146-7)

10. Is it true that the never was a time when the universe did not exist? Explain. (148)

11. List the truths in the first chapters of Genesis that Sheed says are of “towering importance.” (p.150)

Reflection Questions:
1. Reflect on question 4 above. How is Man different from the rest of creation in showing forth the glory of God?

Week 9: Homework

I'm sorry for putting this up late...I hope it doesn't cause too much trouble!

Reading Assignment:
Read Chapter 10 of Theology and Sanity, “God as Creator”—pp. 127-139.

Questions:
1. Why did God create the universe? (pp. 127-128; there are two answers)

2. Explain in your words the statement, “For our sakes, He made us for His sake.” (p.1 127)

3. How does the created universe exist? How is this different from how God exists? (p. 130)

4. Why did God make us from nothing? (p.130)

5. What is the difference between creating and making? (p.130)

6. Why is imagining the process of creation from nothing doomed to failure? (p.131)

7. Write out the St. Augustine quotation on page 131. What does it mean?

8. What is the corollary of the truth that God created us from nothing long ago? (p.132)

9. Explain the analogy of the mirror that Sheed uses on page 132.

10. Do all things only really exist in the mind of God? (p.133) What truth do people who think so recognize? What do they fail to grasp? (p.135)

11. What are the two elements in creation envisaged by Scripture? How are these appropriated to the Trinity? (p.137)

12. How does God utter himself in the uncreated? In nothingness? (p.139)

Reflection Questions:
1. Re-read the last paragraph of section ii on page 135. What is the main idea expressed in the Scripture passages mentioned? What kind of effect does (or should) that truth have on our relationship with the created world? In what ways is this different from other worldviews (e.g. Protestant, materialist, etc.)

Week 8: Homework

Reading Assignment:
Read Chapters 8-9 of Theology and Sanity, “Some Further Precisions” and “Concluding This Part”—pp. 110—123.

Questions:
Chapter 8
1. Why are you a distinct person? (p. 111)

2. Whose words can wholly express God? (p.113)

3. If the Three Persons of the Trinity all possess infinite knowledge, why does only the Father’s generate an idea? (p.113)

4. Upon what does success in finding answers to questions about the Trinity have bearing? (p.114)

5. If our finite nature cannot fully know the Infinite, of what (concerning God) can we be sure? (p.115)

Chapter 9
6. How are we to understand the sendings of the Son and the Holy Spirit? (p.118)

7. Why is Creation attributed to the Father, Sanctification to the Holy Spirit, and Redemption to the Son?

8. Define appropriation. Explain it in your own words.

9. What reason does Sheed suggest for having appropriation?

Reflection Question:
Re-read Section iii of Chapter 9. Now that we’ve finished this part of our study, how your knowledge of God compare to when you started this class? How about your love for Him?

Week 7: Homework

Reading Assignment:
Read Chapter 7 of Theology and Sanity, “Father, Son, and Holy Spirit”—pp. 98—110.

Questions:
1. What are we exploring in this chapter? (p.98)

2. God know and loves, for God is a spirit and these are the proper operations of Spirit. What follows from the fact that God is infinite spirit? (p.99)

3. What are the two names for the Second Person of the Trinity given to us in Scripture? (p.99)

4. What two elements constitute the essence of being a son? Give the philosophical definition of sonship. (p. 99)

5. What is God teaching us when He tells us to call the second person of the Trinity “the Son”? (p. 100)

6. Was God ever not a Father? (p.101)

7. What is the only adequate object of infinite knowledge? (p.103)

8. The Second Person of the Trinity proceeds from the First by way of knowledge. How does the Third Person proceed? How does this relate to the operations of spirit? (p. 105)

9. How is the word spirit when used in the term Holy Spirit different from how it used when we speak of God as spirit? (p. 106)

10. What verbs do we use to describe the respective processions of the Second and Third Persons of the Trinity? (p. 107)

Reflection Questions:
1. Read 2 Timothy 1: 7. What kind of spirit has God given us? How does this relate to what we’ve been studying?

Week 6: Homework

Reading Assignment:
Read Chapter 6 of Theology and Sanity, “Three Persons in One Nature”—pp. 88—98.
Questions:
1. Is there any arithmetic involved in the doctrine of the Trinity?
2. Why is it folly / insensitive / callous to not think of the Trinity at all?
3. Why did God reveal the doctrine of the Trinity?
4. What are the words that usually get dropped from the definition of the Trinity? (p.90)
5. What are the 4 statements that set out the doctrine of the Trinity?
6. Why is there no arithmetic involved in the doctrine of the Trinity?
7. What question does nature answer? What person?
8. What kinds of beings are persons?
9. How are nature and person the sources of action?
10. What is an example of anthropomorphism Sheed talks about on p. 94?
11. Do the persons of the Trinity share the divine nature?

Reflection Questions:
1. Has your understanding of the Trinity changed after this chapter? What difference do you think that will make in your relationship with God?

Week 5: Homework

Reading Assignment:
Read Chapter 5 of Theology and Sanity, “God Tells Man”—pp. 76—87.

Questions:
1. What are the ways Jesus teaches us about God? (Hint: the answer is in the section titles.)

2. What difference does the Incarnation with respect to our ability to know God?

3. Why did Jesus keep his divinity a secret for so long? Explain.

4. What are some of the things Christ did and said that only God had a right to do and say?

5. What was the “principal fruit” of the Apostles’ three year companionship with Jesus?

6. How do we “vivify all that hard thinking about the Infinite? (p.83).

7. Why are our words and concepts of God, though inadequate, not useless?

8. What “new element in God’s revelation of Himself to men” did Christ reveal?

Reflection Questions:
1. How familiar are you with the words and ministry of Jesus? Have you ever read a Gospel account all the way through? If not start reading one today.

Week 4: Homework

Reading Assignment:
Read Chapter 4 of Theology and Sanity, “The Mind Works on Infinity”—pp. 61-76.

Questions:
1. Where was God when the universe was created?

2. Why must an infinite being be a spirit? Hint: what are the two kinds of limitations an infinite being is free from?

3. On p. 65, Sheed says that “for all spaceless beings the word ‘where’ has one meaning.” What is it? (Where are spaceless beings?)

4. God’s Immensity is another way of describing what?

5. What is time?

6. What does the phrase “before the universe was created” mean?

7. Does eternity mean time open at both ends? What is the philosophic definition of eternity?

8. On pp. 72-73 Sheed list five limitations on our knowing—three are obvious, two are less so. List all five.

9. Explain (as best you can) how God is His attributes (Knowledge, Love, Justice, Mercy, etc.).

Reflection Questions:
1. Read Matthew 13: 44-46 and then re-read the last paragraph of the chapter. What connections can you make between what Sheed says and the two parables?

Week 3: Homework

Reading Assignment:
Read Chapter 3 of Theology and Sanity, “He Who Is”—pp. 47-60.

Questions:

1. What are the two modern tendencies about God?

2. Why is dismissing the belief in the true God as a private affair more grotesque than dismissing as private affairs the belief in Moloch (who demanded child sacrifice) or Kali (who demanded followers to strangle strangers)?

3. What are the two ways we can come to a knowledge of God and grow in that knowledge? What is a third, supplementary way?

4. Can the existence of God be known by human reason without the aid of revelation?

5. Why should someone who already accepts God’s existence still study the “proofs” for his existence?

6. What does Sheed say is the primary cause of most people’s unbelief? Do you agree?

7. Restate in your own words the proof of God’s existence using the argument from contingency.

8. Why is a universe with only receivers of existence a contradiction in terms?

9. Who made God?

10. Define nature. (p. 55)

11. What, according to Sheed, is “the primary Truth about God”? How is this truth revealed to the Jewish people?

12. On page 57, Sheed states that whatever perfections are found in created existence must be in God. He goes on to say that knowledge and love are found in created things. What does he conclude from this?

13. Define person. (p.57)

14. Your brain may be full and hurting—don’t give up! Reread the last two paragraphs of the chapter and be encouraged! This way of thinking is hard, but it’s good.

Reflection Questions:

1. Read Luke 11: 5-13. What does this passage say about how we are to seek the Lord? What does it say about those who seek Him?

Week 2 Homework (For October 8)

Reading Assignment:
Read Chapter 2 of Theology and Sanity, “Examination of Intellect”—pp. 30-44.

Summary:
In this chapter, Sheed takes a closer look at the intellect. He describes for us the role of the intellect in religion and then tells us of some of the intellect’s limitations. Some of these limitations are due to our bad habits; others are simply the natural limitations of the human mind. He concludes by cautioning us to be vigilant about staying intellectually fit.

Questions:
Once again, these questions are meant to help you understand the reading, not to exasperate you. If you find that you are dissatisfied with one of your answers, chances are others had similar difficulties. Make sure you mention any thing you need clarified when we go over these in class. Don’t be afraid—we’re all friends here and there’s no final…

1. What is the special function of the intellect in religion?

2. What must be “firmly put in its place” before the intellect can be trained?
Why is this so hard?

3. Define imagination. What is it limited to? Why?

4. What is spirit? What does it lack? What does it do?

5. What are some qualities of material things?

6. What are the three ways imagination interferes with intellect?

7. Explain in your own words the difference between the terms “inconceivable” and “unimaginable”.

8. Can God make an object so heavy He can’t lift it? Explain.

9. What is the first test of any statement concerning spiritual reality?

10. What about the nature of our minds is a “vastly more important limitation” than our imagination?

11. How does Sheed define Mystery?

12. What are three different approaches to dealing with the apparent contradictions in mysterious truths revealed by God?

Reflection Questions
1. On page 31 Sheed says, “...the plain truth about most of us is that we have let our intellects sink into a condition in which they do not have the muscles or the energy or the right habits for the job [of exploring reality], or any effective inclination toward it.” Do you agree with him? Why or why not? If you think he’s right about you, what resolution(s) can you make to improve your intellectual fitness?

2. Reread the first paragraph of section iii. Have you ever had your faith shattered in the way he describes?